The Getty Villa, Pacific Palisades, CA

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Visitors enjoy the garden at the Getty Villa Museum in Malibu, California on April 18, 2011. The Getty Villa exhibits classical antiquities collection of Greek, Roman and Etruscan art. The Villa is modeled after a Roman country house buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)

About The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, California

The Getty Villa, is a facility that J. Paul Getty never lived in, but had built to house a portion of his expansive art collection. It is a copy of a Roman country house that one might have seen in Pompeii, Italy just before Mt. Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79. Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy, is the property which was buried in volcanic lava and ash, that Getty copied as the ideal setting in which to place his valued artifacts. Since the largest portion of that property is still buried, architects were required to create composite designs integrating a mix of Roman houses from several Italian locales–Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Stabiae. The grounds are equally spectacular to walk and photograph. Entrance to the villa is always free, but an advance timed-entry ticket is required. See their website for details. There is a fee for parking. The Getty Villa is closed every Tuesday.

Address: 17985 Pacific Coast Highway
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
Phone: (310) 440-7300
Website: Visit website